


keep a little secret

by ayuminb



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: (there ain't much plot who am i kidding lol), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Lady Escapes with Nymeria, Alternate Universe - Robb Wins, Exhausted King Robb, F/M, Fluff fest, Original Character - Little Prince Ned Stark, Post-Canon, Queen Jeyne Westerling, Some Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:32:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayuminb/pseuds/ayuminb
Summary: “That’s how children of the freefolk show their affection.”





	keep a little secret

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bythunder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bythunder/gifts).



> [a sequel to this.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14058735)
> 
>  
> 
> also, a happy (belated) birthday to my numero uno!!! :D

She stumbles into the nursery ready to collapse, yet still smiles brightly when her brown eyes land on her little boy.

 

Little Prince Eddard Stark had come into this world nearly a year ago, kicking and screaming and looking much like his father, if a few shades darker of skin than Robb; his red hair and blue eyes as vivid as those of the man who sired him. Their people loved its new Prince and their family loved him simply because he is another member of their pack, one that filled Winterfell’s halls with loud and joyful laughter once more.

 

Her good-mother,  _ perhaps _ , the one who loved him the most sometimes it seems, always eager to look after him when Jeyne had to attend to her duties. And being so close to little Eddard’s first nameday, those duties seem to be endless. It helps not that, among the attending lords, some had taken such opportunity to come and ask for the hands of Sansa and Arya in marriage,  _ in person _ . A fact that never ceased to set her husband on edge as of late.

 

“I don’t even know their real reason to come here!” Robb had ranted the night before. “For Eddard’s first nameday? Or is that just the convenient excuse they use to come and harass me about giving into their demands?”

 

“No one can demand anything from you,” she’d replied.

 

He’d been pacing their chambers like a caged wolf, their son cradled close to his chest; he’d sighed and conceded her point because it is the truth. These lords can come and smile and give a thousand and  _ more  _ reasons why a match between them and their King’s sisters is advantageous – but if the girls are not agreeable, Robb will not give them a positive answer. But Sansa would soon turn eight-and-ten, just as Arya has just turned six-and-ten not that long ago; soon,  _ soon  _ they will need to stop sending suitors away without much as a second glance. And Robb will have to make a decision as well.

 

_ But that is a worry for another day. _

 

“Ah, Jeyne,” Lady Catelyn smiles from her place near the hearth, keeping a firm hold of Eddard’s little hands as he tried to take steady steps around the place. “Is it time for his supper?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Her smile is truly bright, but her exhaustion must show, for Lady Catelyn loses some of her cheer as she passes Eddard onto her arms. They move to sit on the chairs closer to the windows. “Oh, dear, you look about to drop from lack of sleep,” she runs a hand through her hair and there’s a little tug in her chest; the gesture reminds her of her mother, of a time prior to what transpired during the War of the Five Kings, prior to plot and plans and almost,  _ almost  _ being married off to a Lannister. “You and Robb need a moment to rest.”

 

“After Eddard’s nameday, perhaps.”

 

Before her good-mother can say more, the door opens again and Robb is stepping in hurriedly. He closed the door and upon seeing his mother, gives them a sheepish look. It makes him look like a young boy who’s been caught causing mischief.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be entertaining your guests?”

 

His mulish frown says it all, and it takes her looking away and down at her baby boy to stop the laughter from spilling past her lips.

 

“Sansa offered to do that while I… came to check on Eddard?”

 

Lady Catelyn does not look impressed. “You left her alone?”

 

Robb moves closer, kneels by her side as she prepares to nurse their son, making funny faces until the babe is giggling happily. “She’s hardly ever alone these days, Mother.”

 

Which is true; Lady is always following her around, growling at whomever she deemed not trustworthy to be close to their master. And if not Lady, then Jon – but Sansa is never truly alone.

 

Once Eddard’s latched onto a nipple, Robb stands up, removing his cloak with a tired sigh. “Arya is with her, now, and the boys.” He sits next to her, rubbing his eyes. “Jon is watching over them as well, there’s no need to worry.”

 

“I shall go help.” Her good-mother smiles. “Give you some time with your wife and son.”

 

“Thank you, Mother.”

 

Lady Catelyn is nearly at the door when she stops, turns and points at little Eddard. “Jeyne, I meant to ask…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“The little one did something…” She taps her nose and shakes her head minutely, as if rubbing it to something; she smiles. “It was adorable, but I was wondering where he learned it.”

 

Jeyne tilts her head, confused, and looks down at the suckling babe. “Oh…” she looks back up, shaking her head. “Not from me.”

 

Lady Catelyn hums. “Maybe one of the girls, then.”

 

It takes some time, but after the doors are closed, Jeyne begins to relax, enjoy the quiet she’s found in this nursery next to her husband. Knows it’ll be short lived, so she leans her head on Robb’s shoulder and sighs.

 

“Has he done it to you?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Eddard,” head tilted back, Jeyne smiles at him. “Has he rubbed his nose to yours?”

 

Robb hums but says nothing, and she knows he’s well on the way to taking an impromptu nap.  _ Rest well, my love. _ Her own eyes close, but she doesn’t allow herself to drift off.

 

*****

 

In the very back of her head, but little Eddard’s actions remain a nagging thought, coming up at the oddest of times. She’s sure the action itself is something she’s heard of before, but can’t quite put her finger on it. The day before her son’s nameday, however, she remembers where it is she’d learned of it.

 

Watching small children reaching out to grab Sansa’s face, catching their happy giggles as they’d rub the little noses over her good-sister’s, and Jon’s words as he came up to her, “that’s how children of the freefolk show their affection.”

 

But that had been moons before Eddard’s birth.  _ So, Sansa taught him, then. _ Letting out a sigh, she sneaks away once more to the nursery, knows today will be the last day of relative calm, than starting tomorrow, the week-long even that is the little Prince’s nameday will begin in full swing. It is because of this thoughts that Jeyne is not surprised to catch the King hiding away there too.

 

She opens her mouth to tease him, mention how she expects both Sansa and Arya get back at him for leaving them alone to fend off persistent suitors, how Bran and Rickon are no longer enough of an impediment. Now that Jon had gone out to help with some last minute repairs around Wintertown, and with the wolves out hunting, no one but him could deter these vexing lords.

 

But among happy giggles and chants of “papa! papa!” she chooses not to. I can tease him later, once we’ve retired, thinks Jeyne, and slowly, carefully closes the heavy doors behind her. Leans on the wood and enjoys the view, watches Robb tickle their son until they’re both laughing boisterously, watches him blow raspberries on his little tummy. Watches him get on the floor and play and try to teach him how to walk properly.

 

And then their son stands on wobbly legs, reaches until his papa leans closer, and tries to pull Robb closer still, tries to rub their noses together. Her husband laughs, she goes to tell him how Eddard learned that—

 

Robb indulges him, let’s their boy keep rubbing his nose to his, and chuckles. “Little Prince, this is supposed to be our secret, you can’t go showing it to anyone.”

 

“Oh, I thought it was Sansa who taught him.”

 

Hearing the King yelps and turn shocked blue eyes on her is something that will never cease to amaze; she’d laugh, merrily, but the full impact of what she’s seen and heard,  _ well _ , it gets her suddenly emotional.

 

Eddard grins at her. “Mama!”

 

“Um…” Robb smiles sheepishly at her.

 

“A secret, you said?”

 

Kneeling next to them, Jeyne lets Eddard to crawl onto her lap and grab her face, she leans down happily to rub noses together. Robb flashes her that grin that never fails to fluster her.

 

“Yes. Will you keep our secret, my Queen?”

 

This time, she smiles. “Aye,” she says, softly as she drops a kiss to their babe’s head. “I'll keep your secret.”

**Author's Note:**

> prompt fill - Jeyne finds out Robb is teaching their child to eskimo kiss.


End file.
